Hosiery drying form



Nov. '13, 1934.

T, W. PROSSER El AL HOSIERY DRYING FORM Filed May 2:2. 1931 n... vf

INVENTORS BY W, W, i

4 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 13, 1934 i; UNITED STATES HOSIERY DRYING FORM Thomas W. Prosser and John H. Wahlbeck, Kankakee, Ill., assignors to Paramount Textile Machinery Company, tion of Illinois Chicago, 111., a corpora- Application May 23, 1931, Serial No. 539,488

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to hosiery drying forms and more particularly to a form which is arranged for drying hosiery composed of fabric portions ,having different textures or weights.

- One object of our invention is the provision of a hosiery drying form so constructed that the amount of heat transmitted through the various portions of the form bears a certain ratio to the drying resistance of the moist fabric superposed upon each of the portions, so that the article on the form is dried and set in a minimum of time, and with a softer, smoother, and more merchantable finish due to the proper distribution of heat than is now obtainable in the industry.

A further object is the provision of a hosiery drying structure of the character indicated which is extremely simple in construction, low in manufacturing cost, adapted for use with steam, hot water, or any other fluid or medium as a heating agency, does not require any special attention in operation, and which is further adaptable, with very slight changes in construction, for the drying of varying textures and weights of fabrics.

A further object is to devise a hosiery drying structure which is extremely economical in its consumption of the heating medium, whatever its nature, so that the supply and drain piping therefor, valve, traps and associated appurtenances can be smaller in size with a considerable saving in first cost and maintenance expense.

A further object is the provision of a form which is substantially identical in all external aspects with the general type of form now commonly used, enabling the form constituting this invention to be readily interchanged with any present formand without requiring changes in existing table equipment or accessories therefor.

A further object is the elimination of tubes or piping within the form, which hitherto have proved a source of trouble and expense because of their susceptibility to clogging and their tendency to vibrate noisily when the form is moved in operation, particularly in forms of the swiv- .eled or rotatably adjustable type.

It is well known that an ordinary stocking, particularly one for feminine wear, is composed of a leg portion of sheer knitted fabric extending downward to a foot portion. The latter is also sheer except for the sole, toe and heel portions which are customarily knitted from more durable, heavier yarn to resist the excessive wear in these locations. The upper extremity of the leg termi nates in a welt or garter-top portion, which is composed of a double thickness of relatively heavy fabric to resist the strain of pulling the stocking on the leg and to provide a substantial portion to which the garter may attach. The hosiery article is thus composed of portions of dissimilar texture and weight. 'These variations in the fabric throughout the stocking have resulted in serious problems arising in properly finishing the product for the market, since while the sheer portions dry and set quickly, the heavier reinforced portions offer greater resistance to the drying heat, due to their retention of a greater amount of moisture. As a consequence, prior commercial types of hosiery finishing forms which employed a fluid medium as a heating agent have proven unsatisfactory, ince they dried all parts of the stocking at the same, or substantially the same, temperature. Therefore, the sheer portions dry earlier than the heavier parts, causing wrinkles and shrinkage which materially detract from the finish and hence the salability of the article.

Hosiery drying forms as now used comprise, in substance, an outer shell having a shape appropriate to the article being finished and within which the heating medium circulates in contact with the walls of the form, thereby obtaining the same or substantially the same temperature over practically the entire outer surface of the form. Under these conditions, the uniform finishing of hosiery articles is a matter of speculation, inasmuch as all portions of the stocking, including those which are reinforced, are dried at the same temperature, so that if the temperature and time are proportioned to give the best results on the sheer leg portion, the heavier portions will not be properly dried. On the other hand, if thetemperature and time are arranged to satisfy the re-' quirements of the reinforced portions,'the sheer sections are dried at an excessive temperature or for too long a time, resulting in a' baked product and one which is inferior in appearance and quality.

The problem solved by the invention herein de;- scribed is the distribution of the temperatures throughout the form so that the sheerer and reinforced or heavier portions of the stocking are dried at temperatures suitable, to their respective characteristics. In order to accomplish this result, we have so constructed our form that the temperatureobtaining at the sheer portions of the stocking is maintained lower than that at the heavier portions through insulating the former from the full effect of the heating medium by an inert layer of air or any' other suitable insulating substance.

One of the advantages inherent in the aforesaid distribution of the form'temperatures is that, since the foot portion of the form may be maintained at the highest maximum temperature consistent for best drying, the heavier foot porticns of the stocking may be dried quickly. In this way, irregularities in the dimensions of the feet (inevitable in any knitting department) may be compensated for in the boarding much more readily than with forms'in which the temperature of the foot is conditioned'upon the temperature requirement of the leg. The rapid drying action in our form tends to shrink the fabric to the standard size determined by the form.

The present invention is also characterized by extreme adaptability and flexibility in the manufacture of hosiery. Hitherto, when boarding goods of relatively heavy texture, it has been necessary to use a form which is interiorly heated by steam in order to obtain the 'high temperature required by the reinforced portion of such goods, even though such temperature-was in excess or that required by the lighter leg portion. The steam operated forms, however, were not suitable for the lighter, or chiffon goods, so that forms heated by hot water have been ordinarily used to obtain the relatively lower temperature required by this classv of hosiery. Therefore, in a mill manufacturing both classes of goods, duplicate equipment In the complete range of sizes was required, that is, one complete installation of steam heated forms and another of hot water heated forms, with a consequent doubling in floor space occupied, initial cost and maintenance. Moreover, in such installations, a large part of the equipment would be idle for a part of the time.

According to our invention, however, steam alone may be used as the drying agent, the pressure thereof, and hence the'temperature being varied over wide ranges for dissimilar grades of goods with better finishing and avoidance of duplicate equipment, since a single type of form may be readily adapted to varying textures by simply changing the pressure of the steam according to anywell known method.

Under manufacturing, conditions where a single drying agent is customarily employed in the dryingof hosiery, itis also possible to effect savings in equipment and floor space by the practice of our invention. In the use of forms of prior types, it is necessary that the stocking remain on the form long enough to dry the reinforced portions at the relatively low maximum temperature permitted by the sheer portions of the, stocking. As a result, a longer drying time is required and the amount of equipment for a given production must be accordingly increased, for each unit remains in service a longer time. On the other handgwhen'using the form of the present invention, the heat necessary for drying the dissimilar'portions of the stocking is so distributed that the different temperatures required for the sheer .and relatively heavierfabrics are effective .on the one form and maintained by a common heat supply, which may accordingly be adjusted 'to meet the drying demand of the heavy fabric. Hence, the drying time is a minimum and, for the same production, the number of forms and associated equipment'required is much less.

As a further advantage, it may be noted that the lower average temperature secured by the distribution of the drying temperatures on the same form and the smaller number of forms required results in less radiation in the drying room and therefore more comfortable-working conditionsfor the operators, as wellas a more economical consumption of steam. In addition, the lower. Working temperature renders less likely the blistering and ,callousing of the operators fingers, a condition which frequently results in snagging an expensive sheer stocking as it is handled during the boarding operation.

It is to be understood that in the following disclosure of our invention, we ,do not contemplate restricting the application thereof to a stocking of the character indicated, but intend to include a stocking of any type composed -of varying weights and textures of fabric, as well 'as any other garment or fabric in general which may be shaped and finished on an interiorly heated form.

These and further objects of our invention will be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and the novel means :by which said objects areeifectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: I

Figure l is a perspective view of our improved drying form, certain portions thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate the interior of the form; t

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is also an enlarged section, similar to that shown in Fig. 2, and showing one crease producing edge of the form.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the spaced relation of the inner and outer shells of the form.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the form shown in Fig. 1, a stocking being illustrated in finishing position thereon. I

Referring to the drawing, "the numeral ,1 designates a hosiery drying form having a base portion 2 of .any'suitable shape which is adapted for attachment to the pipe supplying the heating medium, or to any other suitable support. Ex-

tending upwardly from. the base is the form n and longitudinally shaped to the profile required by a stocking, so that the form comprises aleg portion and a foot portion. The sides of each member 3, including the foot portion thereof, are defined by flat flanges '4 and 5 in accordance with standard practice, the respective flanges '4, 4 and .5, 5 of each member-3 when placed in abut ting relation and secured as hereinafter described establishing the crease producing edges of the form. I

The particularly novel feature of our form resides in the constructionwhich is provided in order to obtain the desired variation in temperatureover the external surface of the form, dependent upon the differing characteristics of the fabric which is stretched thereover. This result is obtained by providing an inner shell 6 which m is so arranged with reference to the members a of the outer shell that an air space exists between the inner and outer shells throughout certain'portions of the form. This space encloses an inert layer ofair which is completely 1 sealed from the heating medium and thus creates avery effective insulation over the desired area or areas. The inner shell '6 comprises a pair of thin members-V, each of which is curved to correspond with the transverse and longitudinal curvature and profile of the sheets 3 for as much of the area of the lattter as it is desired to create insulation therefor, the sides of each member '7, including the necessary foot portion thereof, like wise being defined by flat flanges 8 and 9 com parable to the similar flanges 4 and 5. Each of the sheet members '7 is also provided with a plurality of protuberances 10 which project cut wardly from the convex sides of'said members and r otherwise offsetting a portion of the metal composing said members. Also, in accordance with standard practice, our improved form includes the customary septum 11 which extends lengthwise of the form and is secured to the several members thereof in the manner presently described for the purpose of directing the flow of the heating medium into and out of the form, as well as strengthening the latter against the rigors of usage.

In assembling our form from the parts above described, each inner sheet member 7 is welded to its companion outer sheet member 3 along the respective flanged sides thereof, 4 and 8 and 5 and 9, thus establishing the two halves of the completed form. These assembled halves of the form are then placed in facing relation with their welded, flanged sides abutting each other, as shown in Fig. 2, after which the halves are welded along the sides of the form substantially in the regions indicated by the numerals 12, 13 and 14 in Fig. 3, the septum 11 having been initially placed in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with its side edges seated in offset portions 21 on the inner member 7, these portions preferably extending outwardly for contact with the outer members 3. The septum is secured in the indicated position by any approved means.

manner and mounted on the base 2, with the septum 11 preferably extending downward into the base, and slightly below the nipple (not shown) which feeds steam from the line, in order to insure movement of the steam upwardly in the form along one side of the septum and downwardly on the opposite side. A suitable space is provided between the supporting pipe and the lower end of the septum to insure the adequate drainage of condensate from the form.

The inner sheet members 7 do not extend the full length of the form, but as shown in Fig. l, the lower ends thereof terminate substantially along the line 15 which corresponds approximately with the junction of the garter top of the stocking with the sheer leg portion (see Fig. 5), the outer sheet members 3 being slightly offset, as shown at 16 in Fig. l, to permit the interposition of the members '7 between the members 3. At

their upper extremities, the inner members 7 terminate at and are shaped to correspond substantially with the line 17 which substantially 'defines the junction of the reinforced foot portion of the stocking with the sheer fabric which is continued from the leg portion of the stocking over the upper portion of the foot. As a refinement in the manner of attaching the upper ends of the inner members 7 to the outer members 3, it will be noted that the joining line, defined generally by the numeral 18 may be either horizontally disposed or may slope slightly downwardly to the right, in order to prevent the formation of an air or water pocket at the corner 19.

As before stated, the spaced disposition of the inner and outer shells of the form creates an insulating space 20 which serves to decrease the transmission of heat to the adjacent, outer surfaces of the form, thereby rendering the indicated portions of the latter particularly desirable for the drying of the sheer portions of the stocking. The protuberances 10 not only serve The. lower end of the form is closed in any approved to assist in spacing the inner and outer shells, but they also compensate for any slight inaccuracies and malformations of the respective members of the shells, as may frequently arise with punch and die-formed parts. Moreover, the surface contact of each protuberance with the outer shell is of such a limited nature that the latter is substantially unaffected by the direct contact so far as conduction of heat to the shell is concerned. The outer shell, therefore, is substantially free from localized hot spots, or spots which have a substantially higher temperature than the outer shell portions between the protuberances. It is also contemplated that the height of the protuberances may be varied as desired in order to change the thickness of the insulating air layer and thereby provide a means for regulating the heat transmission to the walls of the form. It is also considered to be within the scope of the present invention to utilize any of the well known insulating materials, such as asbestos or felt in the space between the inner and outer shells as a substitute for the insulating air layer, thereby providing a further adjustment in the nature of the heat transmission possible in the use of our form.

I It will be particularly noted that the metal comprising the, inner and outer shells is sumciently thin as to not interfere with the primary 7 function of the longitudinal edges of the form as crease-producing agencies, the disposition of four thicknesses of metal along the edges of the form defined by the inner shell not introducing any serious problem in this respect. The above form is simple in construction, and reliable and inexpensive in operation for reasons outlined at length above and it operates very effectively to provide the different drying temperatures required by the diiferent fabric portions in a stocking.

While We have shown one set of elements and combinations thereof for eifectuating our improved drying form, it will be understood that the same is intended for purpose of illustration only and in no wise to restrict our device to the exact forms and structures shown, for many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A hosiery drying structure comprising a hollow form adapted to receive an article superposed thereon in drying position, an inner shell conforming in shape substantially to the shape of the form and substantially coextensive with predetermined fabric portions of said article, said shell being provided with protuberances for maintaining said shell in spaced relation with the interior surface of said form.

2. A hosiery drying form comprising spaced inner and outer. shells and a longitudinal medial vane within said form, said inner shell having a channel adapted to receive said vane, whereby the outer and inner shells and the vane may be jointed together.

3. A hosiery drying form comprising an inner shell and an outer shell spaced from each other, a longitudinal vane within said inner shell, and means for securing said shells and vane together.

THOMAS W. PROSSER. JOHN H. WAHLBECK. 

